Fallen Angels (1996) User Reviews

Wake up sleeper

[Rectangular_businessman · 7/10 · 1 January 2024]

Despite being described as "manga-style" animation, this British production has very little visual resemblance to anime, having an aesthetic closer to stuff like Tintin or the comic strip version of Little Orphan Annie.

I personally like the contrast between such type of art style with the mature plot, featuring a tale of crime which turns into a journey into the afterlife and finally into a supernatural battle of good and evil.

There are some technical limitations, with the animation looking a bit stiff and off-model in several scenes, but this is largely compensated by the vivid imagination of the plot, making this a highly entertaining watching experience.

In all honesty, it's such a shame this is a not very well known work, since it does have plenty of good qualities to be at least recognized as a cult-classic from the 90s.

The soundtrack is pretty good too.

Inspired animated roadmovie.

[giantrobo · 10/10 · 15 June 2003]

I must have seen this movie a hundred times and I never get tired of it. It's about a 500 year old man desperately searching for his lost seraphim, which he stole long ago and gave him his immortality. Now decaying, he chases two Cuban brothers and their dog who accidentally found the golden angel and are unaware of what they are carrying with them.

The story is magical and spiritually inspired, based on `Paradise Lost'. But it's the animation, attention to detail and music that really make this production shine. There is basically no dialog in this film with plenty of cool lines from the age old thief who tells the story. I would describe the animation as groovy as everything seems timed perfectly. I think the accompanying music is original. A prequel was made titled `coffee' (I never saw it).

Maybe the best animation I have seen

[inevitabilio · 10/10 · 13 February 2006]

It is not the animation itself and the pictures, the whole atmosphere of the movie is very specific, magical, and you feel like watching more and more. I am truly surprised such a movie had only one comment and only 10 users voted. This is really a must see for animation, that is why I voted with 10. Problem is I have it on tape only, I should have a look for DVD . The music, the characters, the plot, the atmosphere, everything is appealing and enchanting. It has different parts and various heroes and the story is well made up and the different parts stick one to each other without interruption but rather a pleasant surprise. My final thought is take a beer or coffee or whatever you like and watch the movie at home with a good sound system .

Reaches Out & Touches You

[journalist1 · 10/10 · 27 August 2017]

Tony Johnson is simply one of the best film animators in Britain today, yet the industry has completely overlooked him.

Fallen Angel is a masterpiece, in that, Tony has done the impossible, on a very limited budget he has produced something that will in the course of time become known as a masterpiece. Somehow, he gathered about him exactly the right group to implement his vision and what a vision it is. On one level Fallen Angel is a road movie where both the journey and destination are magical beyond belief and on the other somehow asks and answers some of the biggest questions that concern us all. Fallen Angel touches the viewer deeply as Johnson mixes up a dazzling recipe using exactly the right plot, narration, soundtrack, artwork and direction. Tony's interpretation of life's mysteries are stunning, never to be forgotten.

Here's some history: Back in 1996 the BBC, a major British television broadcaster presented Fallen Angel late one night during their 'Manga Week' without any fanfare. Now let's fast forward to weeks later, I was at Broadcasting House, the BBC's old HQ in London to review a tech show they were producing and mentioned Tony's film project. The network informed me they had been inundated with requests for repeats and information on the artist/director and this is where it gets really sad and incredibly bewildering, we had on the one hand, a young, very talented artist with real vision and on the other Johnson lives in one of the richest countries in the world with incredible levels of investment capital yet not one investor or broadcaster saw fit to finance his work, none seemingly had the vision required.

Tony went on to create 4 shorts but never got the chance he truly deserved and while the UK is world famous for stop motion animation, the country had for a time, the opportunity to sponsor a true visionary, one whom I believe, could and would have gone on to create ever better films. Here's to you Tony, there IS still time.

Your friend from Guildford.

Wonderful Story

[sparkyroots · 10/10 · 14 August 2020]

A heroes road trip story which giantrobo summed up nicely elsewhere in the reviews.

I've loved this since the 90's when it was televised and eventually tracked down a digital copy. The subject matter is off the wall (at least in it's time) and the music is spellbinding.

I loved the female spirit who takes the brothers and Morocco to the underworld in the beginning - and DC Comics have just plagiarised her, almost exactly and someone should tell Tony about it!